1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for detecting the myocardial state of the heart and a measuring apparatus for performing this method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cardiological experiments and studies have resulted in the finding that the change of the state of the myocardium frequently results in a change of the direction of the excitation propagation of the cardiological stimulation signals in the heart. This is based, for example, on the different velocities of the excitation propagation in healthy myocardial areas on one hand and, for example, in myocardial areas subject to ischemia on the other hand. A further reason may be the change of the geometry of the heart divisions in the event of cardiac insufficiency or cardiomyopathy, in the event of operational wounds, or in the event of a myocardial infarction. Furthermore, direction changes of the excitation propagation may occur due to a change of the myocardial state before a cardiac flutter or also due to psychological stress situations and strains.
Disturbances of this type may be recognized in principle by complex analyses of cardiological stimulation signals, however, complex multi-electrode measurements are known to be necessary for this purpose, as are performed in an ECG, for example. The corresponding measurement methods and apparatuses may not be implemented in practice in an implant.